Empresses in the Palace
|last_aired = |status = |preceded_by = |followed_by = Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace (2018) |related = The Legend of Mi Yue (2015) |website = |production_website = }} Empresses in the Palace ( , lit. The Legend of Zhen Huan), is a 2011 Chinese television series based on the Internet novel of the same name by Liu Lianzi. Directed by Zheng Xiaolong, it stars Sun Li in the title role of Zhen Huan. The series was first aired in China on 17 November 2011. Synopsis The series centres on the schemes between Emperor Yongzheng’s concubines in the Imperial Palace during the Qing Dynasty. The innocent 17-year-old Zhen Huan is chosen for the Emperor’s harem, and after entering the palace finds herself caught in the fierce infighting between the Empress and the concubines. Realising that the palace is a cruel and harsh place, she has to learn to survive on her own, sometimes by unorthodox methods. With her wits and talents, Huan fights her way through and wins the Emperor’s affection, ultimately becoming the most influential concubine in the imperial palace, and she ascends to unparalleled glory and wealth. However, she also becomes a woman with few real friends at her side, even after she is rid of all her enemies. Along the way, she experiences a miscarriage due to mistreatment by Consort Hua, who is the second most powerful woman in the harem, second only to the Empress in rank. However, even though Consort Hua's mistreatment of Huan contributed to her miscarriage, the primary reason for it was because of an ointment that she used regularly to heal a wound. The ointment had ingredients that could induce a miscarriage, given to her by another concubine who Huan thought of as a sister, An Lingrong, the same girl she had once saved. Eventually, Consort Hua is imprisoned in the Cold Palace, a place for discarded concubines, for her many misdeeds, and is eventually given a death sentence and told to commit suicide. Although Consort Hua refuses at first, Huan makes a visit and tells her that the Emperor has never loved her and only favoured her to please her brother, the general Nian Gengyao. She also tells her the reason for her infertility was a special incense granted to her by the Emperor. In the end, Consort Hua commits suicide but refuses to do so in a way that was decreed. The Empress plots against Huan, arranging things so that she ends up unknowingly wearing the Emperor’s most beloved late Chunyuan Empress's clothes. The Emperor is enraged by this and grounds her to her palace, where she becomes disillusioned with him. At this time, she is pregnant, and only days after she gives birth to a daughter she is transferred over to a nunnery where she becomes a nun. While there she falls in love with the Emperor's brother, Yunli (Prince Guo). However, she eventually comes back to the Forbidden Palace when she mistakenly believes that the Emperor's brother is dead and want to find out the truth of his death (After that, she found that he was still alive, but it was too late). In the palace, she gives birth to twins, fathered by Yunli, but she convinces all that they are the Emperor's. She also adopts the fourth prince, who was looked down upon, as his mother was a lowly palace maid. Gradually she regains the love of the Emperor. She also erodes the power of the Empress and kills An Lingrong who caused the death of Shen Meizhuang, her best friend in the imperial palace. Finally, the Empress confesses her crime and admits that she was the one who killed the late Chunyuan Empress and caused several miscarriages. However, the Empress, who has been granted amnesty by the late Empress Dowager, is not killed but discarded. Towards the end, the Emperor suspects that Huan and Yunli, the seventeenth prince, of having an affair. He orders her to kill him to prove that she has no feelings towards him. Yunli sacrifices himself for her, and although she does not intentionally kill him, he dies. Following this incident, the Emperor makes Huan the leader of the Imperial Harem, a post that carries supreme authority in the inner palace. However, increasingly the Emperor grows suspicious regarding the paternity of his children with Huan. In order to save her children, she and a concubine named Ye Lanyi plot against the Emperor, and eventually manage to kill him. As the senior most widow, she plays a crucial role in the succession and installs her adopted son, the fourth prince, upon the Dragon Throne instead of her own biological son as she does not want him to be burdened by the role of emperor. And the Empress eventually died. In the end, Huan becomes the sad and lonely Empress Dowager. Plot In 1722, Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing dynasty has ascended to the throne thanks to the help of Nian Geng Yao (Duke of the Second Class) and Long Ke Duo (Duke of the First Class). Geng Yao's younger sister, Consort Hua, serves as a concubine to the Emperor and is his favored among the women in his harem. The Empress tolerates her rival in most things, allowing her to act in ways that would normally be seen as disrespectful in the actions of a normal concubine. The Empress installs a maid, Fuzi, into Consort Hua's household to keep an eye on her rival. However, Consort Hua is on to the Empress' plan. Six months into his reign, the Dowager Empress encourages her son to expand his harem and add newer, younger women to serve him and increase the family line. Among the ones who are chosen to be viewed and selected by the Emperor and Dowager Empress is Zhen Huan. She prays at a buddhist temple with her maids, Liu Zhu & Huan Bi, to not be selected. Even Imperial Doctor Wen, a family friend and man who has feelings for Zhen Huan, offers her a jade vase as a promise to marry her. However, she can't as she is one of the chosen ones to appear before the royal family to selection. Others among the selection are: Shen Mei Zhuang (an old friend and playmate of Zhen Huan and highborn lady); An Ling Rong (a meek young girl from a low ranking officer); and Xia Dong Chun (an arrogant girl from a high ranking family). When An Ling accidentally spills her hot tea on Xia Dong's outfit, Xia ridicules her mercilessly until Zhen Huan and Shen Mei intervene. The three women are selected to serve the Emperor as Concubines. When Zhen Huan is shown to the Emperor and Dowager Empress, a startling reaction leaves her fate up in the air. Cast Main * Sun Li as Zhen Huan ( 甄嬛 ), Concubine Wan (莞嫔), Niohuru Zhen Huan ( 钮钴禄•甄嬛 ), Noble Consort Xi (熹贵妃) * Chen Jianbin as the Yongzheng Emperor * Ada Choi as Ula Nara Yixiu ( 乌拉那拉•宜修 ), the Empress * Jiang Xin as Nian Shilan ( 年世兰 ), Consort Hua (华妃) * Li Dongxue as Yunli, Prince Guo * Lan Xi as Shen Meizhuang ( 沈眉庄 ), Consort Hui (惠妃) * Tao Xinran as An Lingrong ( 安陵容 ), Consort Li (鹂妃) Supporting ;Yongzheng’s Harem * Li Yijuan as Qi Yuebin ( 齐月宾 ), Imperial Noble Consort Duan (端皇贵妃) * Yang Fanghan as Feng Ruozhao ( 冯若昭 ), Noble Consort Jing (敬贵妃) * Zhang Yameng as Consort Qi (齐妃) * Chen Sisi as Cao Qinmo ( 曹琴默 ), Imperial Concubine Xiang (襄嫔) * Tang Yixin as Gūwalgiya Wenyuan ( 瓜尔佳•文鸳 ), Noble Lady Qi (祺贵人) * Tan Songyun as Fang Chunyi ( 方淳意 ), Noble Lady Chun (淳贵人) * Re Yizha as Ye Lanyi ( 叶澜依 ), Imperial Concubine Ning (宁嫔) * Wan Meixi as Lü Yingfeng ( 吕盈风 ), Imperial Concubine Xin (欣嫔) * Ying Er as Xia Dongchun ( 夏冬春 ) * Zhao Qin as Fuca Yixin ( 富察•仪欣 ) * Li Jiaxuan as Imperial Concubine Li (丽嫔) * Mao Xiaotong as Caiping ( 采萍 ), Noble Lady Ying (瑛贵人) * Cui Manli as Yu Ying'er ( 余莺儿 ) * Liu Yitong as Qiao Songzhi ( 乔颂芝 ), Second Attendant Zhi (芝答应) * He Yanan as First Attendant Kang (康常在) * Guo Xuan as Imperial Concubine Zhen (贞嫔) ;Imperial Family * Leanne Liu as Uya Chengbi ( 乌雅•成壁 ), the Empress Dowager * Liu Yan as Consort Dowager Shu (舒太妃) * Lan Yingying as Huanbi ( 浣碧 ), later Niohuru Yuyin ( 钮钴禄•玉隐 ) * Yang Qi as Meng Jingxian ( 孟静娴 ) * Tian Xiping as Yun'e, Prince Dun * Tian Pujun as Lady Borjigit * Wang Min as Yunqi, Prince Heng * Tan Limin as Lady Tatara * Kang Fuzhen as Yunxi, Prince Shen * Xu Lu as Zhen Yurao ( 甄玉娆 ), later Niohuru Yurao ( 钮钴禄•玉娆 ) * Wu Lipeng as Hongshi * Wang Wenjie as Hongli * Yuan Yi as Lady Fuca * Zhang Yan as Ula Nara Qingying ( 乌拉那拉•青樱 ) * Duan Shaonan as Hongyan * Yao Wan'er as the Princess Wenyi ( 温宜公主 ) * Yang Xinyi as the Princess Longyue ( 胧月公主 ) * Ding Xiaomei as the Princess Lingxi ( 灵犀公主 ) * Zhang Zhixiang as the Princess Jinghe ( 静和公主 ) * Duan Shaonan as Yuanche ( 元澈 ) ;Court officials * Shen Baoping as Zhen Yuandao * Zhang Yi as Longkodo * Ma Weifu as Gūwalgiya Emin * Sun Ning as Nian Gengyao * Li Hongrui as Moge * Wang Biao as Zhang Tingyu ;Others * Zhang Xiaolong as Wen Shichu ( 温实初 ) * Sun Qian as Cui Jinxi ( 崔槿汐 ) * Lee Tian-chu as Su Peisheng ( 苏培盛 ) * Zhan Jingyi as Liuzhu ( 流朱 ) * Li Dan as Yun Xinluo * Luo Kang as Eunuch Yun ( 小允子 ) * Zhai Beibei as Pei'er ( 佩儿 ) * He Mengting as Huasui ( 花穗 ) * Cheng Nan as Feiwen ( 斐雯 ) * Li Qun as Bin'er ( 玢儿 ) * Du Xiang as Huang Guiquan ( 黄规全 ) * Zhang Zhiwei as Jiang Zhongmin ( 江忠敏 ) * Quan Baojun as Eunuch Gou * Zhang Zhiwei as Liang Duorui ( 梁多瑞 ) * Liang Yixin as Baojuan ( 宝鹃 ) * Hu Xinhui as Baoque ( 宝鹊 ) * Li Mengyang as Juqing ( 菊青 ) * Xu Lei as Eunuch Gui * Liu Yin as Jixiang ( 吉祥 ) * Tian Shumei as Sun Zhuxi ( 孙竹息 ) * Yang Jingfang as Fang Ruo ( 芳若 ) * Yang Kaichun as Jianqiu ( 剪秋 ) * Liu Yang as Jiang Fuhai ( 江福海 ) * Sun Fei as Fuzi * Wang Yiming as Zhou Ninghai ( 周宁海 ) * Wang Xiaoming as Suxi * Zhao Hailong as Kang Luhai ( 康禄海 ) * Guo Zihao as Eunuch Yin * Liu Boting as Ajin ( 阿晋 ) * Sun Boyang as Xia Yi * Qin Yiming as Wei Lin * Xing Hanqing as Ji Weisheng * Du Xiaotao as Jiang Cheng * Yang Xiaobo as Jiang Shen * Guo Chen as Liu Ben * Hai Yan as Jing'an * Zhao Qianzi as Jingbai * Wang Lihan as Moyan * Li Lubing as Eunuch Xia ( 小厦子 ) * Li Yingya as Huichun ( 绘春 ) * Li Yang as Xu Jinliang * Han Yuting as Cuiguo ( 翠果 ) Soundtrack Reception The series had sweeping popularity in mainland China, that Sina termed it as "a whole town tunes in to watch when it airs on TV". It has been praised for being one of the best historical dramas broadcast in mainland China in recent years. Critics attribute the success of the series to its delicately designed plot, fancy costumes reflecting a certain period of old China, and an addictive storyline. Director Zheng also said that the series is not a "simple ancient or idol love story", but a righteous historic values that reflects the cruelty of feudal society. In Japan, after just one week, the series amassed more than 39 million Japanese viewers. A Fuji TV employee revealed that after the first episode aired, the number of hits for their website multiplied five-fold, and that they also received many phone calls inquiring about the drama. Since the series airs at 5 p.m. on weekday evenings, it is particularly popular among housewives and students. Taka Tsukazaki, the CEO of Asia Republic Entertainment, perhaps said it best when he called the series an “an immortal masterpiece that will still give rise to discussion even after five or ten years.” Through the series, the audience can learn much about ancient Chinese poetry, fashions, court etiquette, and herbal medicine. The show also features intensely sophisticated dialogue that has sparked trending quotes among its followers on the internet. One particular popular phrase is "Jiàn rén jìu shì jiāo qíng (賤人就是矯情) ," spoken by Consort Hua, which literally translates to "bitches are hypocrites". Cultural influence The Style of Zhen Huan After the series become popular, audiences began to imitate the way people spoke and behaved during the Qing Dynasty. Many individuals discuss problems or issues by using the language of this drama in forums. The drama helped promote interest in classic Chinese philosophy. Controversial values The drama elicits a controversial debate that divided two sides. People's Daily pointed out that in the series, it appears good characters cannot win against evil characters unless they stoop to their level of cunning. Furthermore, when evaluating the production of historical themes, the most significant critique standard should focus on the values standard instead of authenticity standard. Social media is able to shape people’s mind in visible and invisible ways,and incorrect values would lead the audience to the survival of the incorrect ideas into real life. Conversely, the article of Seeking Truth holds an opposite viewpoint; and they assert this drama reveals the decadent essence of ancient Chinese feudal society and traditional and outdated lifestyle obstructs the development of society. It also praises and appreciates the brave women constantly pursue their happiness and fight against with the forces of evil. Accolades International broadcast The drama was first aired in China in 2011 on Dragon TV. The drama was split into three parts for its Japanese broadcast and was aired under the title Women Vying for Power in the Palace <宮廷の諍い女>. The name change was due to the hanzi and kanji characters for “Zhen huan” (甄嬛), which are not frequently used in the Japanese language and are therefore unrecognizable to most Japanese viewers. However, some netizens complained that the new title was “too bare” and lacked the implicit appeal of the original. In April 2015, the series was added to US region of Netflix. It was edited down to six episodes, each with a ninety-minute duration. The original audio was kept intact with the addition of closed captions in English. In Thailand, the series was aired in 2016 and broadcast on Channel 7. and now the series was aired in 2018 and broadcast on One31 The series was uploaded on YouTube by LeTV in 2018. References Category:2011 Chinese television series debuts Category:Chinese historical television series Category:Television programs based on Chinese novels Category:Dragon Television shows Category:Television series by SMG Pictures Category:Television series set in the Qing dynasty Category:Television series scored by Benjamin Wallfisch